


Impact

by BrandNewWings



Category: Banana Fish (Anime & Manga)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Ash needs a Hug, Blood, Canon Universe, Eiji Needs a Hug, Fluff, Hurt Eiji, Hurt/Comfort, Lite-Brite, M/M, Multi, Poor Eiji, Shorter Needs a Hug, Shorter Wong Lives, Some Humor, Whump, car crash, injuries, please be safe driving, shortbread cookie
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-06-13
Updated: 2019-06-13
Packaged: 2020-05-02 11:26:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,158
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19197814
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BrandNewWings/pseuds/BrandNewWings
Summary: Ash, Eiji, and Shorter get into a horrible car accident.





	Impact

**Author's Note:**

> I have been sitting on this idea for months now. Finally, I set my ass down and wrote.
> 
> I’m also exhausted and hoping this all makes since. 🤞
> 
> Hope you enjoy! ❤️
> 
> Come say hi on Tumblr!
> 
> @BrandNewWings

Eiji sighs as he looks out the window and watches the countdown for the crosswalks. At zero, there’s the familiar loud beeping and chirping noise to notify people it’s time to cross the street. The brunette watches as massive crowds migrate around.

He, Shorter, and Ash wanted to enjoy the new spring weather by going for a drive. It feels amazing outside! Eiji has his arm sticking out of the car window and moving it around against the wind when the car is in motion. Car rides are also another way for Eiji to learn about New York. He’s discovered that since the streets are numbered, it’s not that difficult to navigate through the city. He’s also learned that in order to move around the roads, a person has to be assertive.

Eiji is dragged from his thoughts by Shorter’s rant and Ash’s laughter.

“Listen, all I’m saying is that if you didn’t play with a Lite-Brite growing up, you’re uncultured,” Shorter has his hands up and shaking his head.

“But we don’t have those in Japan, Shorter,” Eiji turns in his seat to look back at the purple-haired man.

He flinches as he’s met dead on with the asshole who has their brights on behind them despite being in a city. Shorter tilts his body so that the lights no longer blind his boyfriend.

“Not even a knock-off version?” Shorter’s brows raise above his sunglasses. The brunette shrugs.

“I don’t know. Maybe? There probably is, but I don’t see what the big deal is. It sounds boring,” Eiji cocks his head.

“That is _literally_ the worst thing you’ve ever said to me,” Shorter deadpans.

The light turns green, and Ash eases on the accelerator.

“Stop being so dramatic,” Eiji chastises.

“Uh-uh. This is a direct violation,” Shorter declares.

“Violation? Of what?” Ash glances at the rearview mirror to look at his boyfriend.

He looks back at the road, and the car stops, jolting them forward in their seats as a person cuts Ash off. There wasn’t even a turn signal used! Ash honks, rolling down his window.

“I hope you die from a fender bender!”

The driver of the opposing car sticks his hand out, flipping Ash off.

“Tsk. Probably the type to not let people in when a lane is closed,” Ash grumbles. “I’m going to side swipe him off a bridge.”

Watching Ash or Shorter go into a road rage rant is amusing, but not nearly as amusing as watching Eiji have road rage. He speaks his native language and uses bizarre hand motions and gestures that would only make sense in Japan. It’s a sight to behold.

“Behave,” Eiji soothes Ash by rubbing the male’s bicep with a gentle squeeze.

The blond slumps with an irritated sigh but does as Eiji says. The brunette truly has no clue of the power he holds over New York. He has two of the top gang leaders wrapped around his finger. They would go to war for Eiji, and if someone dares to hurt him... That person is fucked.

Ash’s abrupt stop gets the people behind him to honk as well but there’s no ill intent at Ash’s expense. More like they agree with Ash’s frustration. Since living in the big city, Eiji has learnt that people use their horns religiously. It’s a way of communication. There’s different meanings based on how long the horn goes on for, how many pauses are in between the honks, and how light the sound is. It’s like another language.

“So about this violation,” Ash picks the conversation back up.

“Not showing Eiji a Lite-Brite is in violation of the Get-Eiji-Cultured Protocol,” Shorter answers once the car gets moving again. He gestures to Eiji. Said boy just blinks at Shorter.

“The _Get-Eiji-Cultured Protocol_ ,” Ash echoes with a poorly contained smirk.

“There’s so much wrong with what you just said,” Eiji runs a hand over his face.

“You’ve hurt me. This must be what animals feel like when they’re going extinct,” Eiji rolls his eyes at Shorter’s words. “I’m never gonna dance again, Eiji. My guilty feet have got no rhythm,” Shorter splays across the backseat as if dying.

“Yeah, I don’t know what any of those references are from, but you’ll be fine,” Eiji rolls his window up, getting a bit chilly.

“Shorter, leave him alone. I think it’s time for you to face reality. Eiji can’t be cultured on everything,” Ash’s smirk widens at the pout Eiji gives him.

“I’m going to kick your ass, Aslan Callenreese,” Eiji grumbles, turning forward in his seat and slouches down in it.

Ash’s brows shoot up in both surprise and amusement.

“He used your full name! I dare say we’ve rubbed off on him a little too much, Ash,” Shorter whistles with a shit eating grin.

“I’m starting to think that too, but he’s a hundred years too early to be making declarations like that,” Ash jabs at Eiji’s side. The brunette spasms with a squeak.

“Don’t start that,” Eiji hisses. His cheeks a red.

“Start what?” Ash asks, squeezing Eiji’s side again. He never takes his eyes from the road.

“I’ll sit in the back with, Shorter,” Eiji threatens.

Ash snorts.

“You honestly believe you’ll be any safer?” Ash quirks a brow.

“What is it? Gang up on Eiji Day?” The Japanese man whines.

“A National holiday that I look forward to every year,” Shorter chimes.

“I’d expect this kind of behavior from Shorter,” Eiji ignores Shorter’s indignant ‘Hey!’ from the back seat. “But not from you, Ash,” Eiji crosses his arms over his chest and looks out the window.

“Alright. Alright. We’ll lay off,” Ash chuckles.

“You don’t speak for me,” Shorter says.

Ash reaches over Eiji and opens the glove box underneath the dashboard. Shorter has seconds to dodge a car air freshener aimed for his head.

“Did you just try to hit me with an air freshener!?” Shorter squawks.

“No. No. I didn’t _try_ to hit you with an air freshener,” Ash then smacks Shorter in the face with a back up freshener. “I _hit_ you with a car air freshener.”  
  
Eiji can’t help the small giggle while listening to his boys mess around. It’s moments like these that promise serenity and normality in the future. These are the moments to cherish, that keep them going during tough times.

The car slows down at a red light. The stop is a bit bumpy from the lazy patch work on the road. The streets are bustling tonight with tourists and partygoers. The sky is clear, showing the pale blue, off yellow, and lavender remnants of sunset as night pushes on. There’s the occasional thin grey cloud passing over now and again. The clouds look like “butter scraped over too much bread”, as Bilbo said in those Lord of the Rings movies Shorter made Eiji watch.

Eiji watches how people slow down when a cop car comes into view, not knowing that breaking will only increase their chances of being pulled over. Slowing down will get a cop’s attention more.

Every tree, building, and wire holds no color and are instead black silhouettes against the darkening sky. The street lights have long since come on. A few went out and others are a different color. Some street lights are white, but several are a faded orange - an old, hair dye kind of faded. Towers blink red lights slowly. Restaurants and stores have letters from their neon signs out or flickering. There are streaks of red from passing cars, some vehicles with a headlight out, and some people have colors glowing from the undercarriage of their cars. People blast music from inside their vehicle, vibrating the cars around them.

There are bugs swarming every source of light. Eiji chuckles as some people swat around at the pests to leave them alone. Eiji looks up, but due to the light pollution, there are hardly any stars in the sky to be seen.

Eiji thumps the side of his forehead against the car window and sighs. His breath fogs up a patch of the window before disappearing.

“Something wrong, Eiji?” Shorter asks, peeking from behind the shoulder of Eiji’s car seat.

“I wish I could show you two Izumo’s night sky,” Eiji says in longing.

It’s no secret that Eiji’s become homesick for Japan. He misses the small town of Izumo. He misses Buddy, his dog. He misses his family and the ways of life there. He misses the simplicity. The brunette will sometimes stare off into space with a bittersweet smile in his eyes.

Eiji loves it in New York City, but it can’t compare to his Izumo.

“Just wait a little longer,” Ash grabs Eiji’s hand in his. “After everything is taken care of here, the three of us will be under that very sky.”

Eiji smiles at his boyfriend and squeezes the hand holding his.

“You guys are so gay,” Shorter teases.

“Okay, first of all-,” Ash is cut off as they are slammed forward. A car crashes into them from behind.

The force pushes their car into the busy intersection. People swerve and honk, but no one is spared from the destruction and chaos. Glass shatters everywhere and the car’s sides distort and bend. The passengers are thrashed around helplessly. Eiji screams as the loud noises come from all sides. Ash puts his arm out in front of Eiji like a shield. The airbags never go off, leaving Ash, Eiji, and Shorter exposed and unprotected from every impact.

An SUV hits the front of their car. They spin around with screeching tires until another vehicle slams into the trunk of their car. They’re projected in a new direction. Ash’s body is slung forward. He hits his head on the steering wheel.

“Ash!” Eiji shouts in horror. More glass shatters and cuts into Eiji’s skin. The car takes a few more hits.

It all happens so fast and yet it feels like forever.

The collisions stop. Cars are scattered all around them. No one attempts to exit their vehicles as everything sinks into the victims. They’re left dazed and in shock. In the distance, people are shouting and calling 9-1-1. There’s crying and the smell of burnt rubber - sour and smoky. Before long, the faint smell of gasoline will hit the noses of everyone, causing the pandemonium to very slowly escalate.

“Are you guys alright!?” Shorter asks frantically. He unbuckled his seat belt and scoots forward to look at his two boyfriends.

“Peachy,” Ash gives an “okay” gesture, sitting up from the steering wheel. He has a bump forming on his head. His face has a few scratches from the glass and jutting metal but overall seems to look alright. “You?”

Shorter’s purple hair is sticking up every which way. His sunglasses are long gone, somewhere on the floorboard. The backseat is concave now, making Shorter’s body shrink into itself. He too has some cuts but none lethal.

“I’m fine. Might have sprained something and gotten whiplash but nothing serious,” Shorter reassures. “Eiji?”

There’s silence from Eiji’s end.

“Oi, Eiji?” Shorter asks, reaching forward and nudging his boyfriend. Said man is hunched against the car door, slightly sticking out of the window. The brunette stirs with a groan and rubs his head. He’s bleeding from his temple. Shorter knows that cuts on a person’s face look way worse than what they are, but still. “Are you okay? You’re bleeding.”

“I’m fine,” Eiji says with a slur. He wipes his face, smearing the blood. Eiji’s hands are trembling. The two leaders look at each other. Ash furrows his brows in worry. “I’m fine you guys. Just a little shaken.”

The two sigh in relief.

Ash’s eyes turn deadly. He snaps his head back towards the culprit who started all this. The hasty action makes the world spin for the blond. He tries to blink away the black dots.

“Ash, don’t move so abruptly,” Eiji scolds but it comes out more as a whine. Ash looks at him. “You hit your head so-,”

Everything Eiji says becomes distant. His eyes lock onto two massive headlights coming straight towards them from behind Eiji. A semitruck on a direct course to Eiji, and it can’t stop in time.

All sound stops. His breathing stops. He looks at Shorter, who’s become incredibly pale with realization. They can’t get out of the car. The doors are too smashed in. They could use the windows but they wouldn’t make it in time. There’s nowhere to run. There’s no way to get out of this. Eiji is going to take the initial impact. They are left to fate now. Ash’s wide eyes slowly move back to Eiji.

“Ash?” Eiji asks worried, still unaware of his impending doom. “Shorter? What’s wrong?”

“Oh my god...,” Ash breathes as the headlights are on them.

“Eiji!” Shorter screams in anguish. He reaches for his boyfriend in a desperate attempt to save him.

Impact.

**Author's Note:**

> You have no idea how close I was to making the story end there. 👌


End file.
